Games for 7 year olds

Here are reader suggestions for games for 7 year olds - and as you'll see, these ideas are tailored for kids whose enthusiasm for their latest interest is beginning to know no bounds!

Seven year olds are beginning that great trek into what I call "middle childhood" - those wonderful years from seven to nine or ten years old, when kids are still kids (yes, I'm an idealist!) and the stresses and strains of being a pre-teen are, for a lot of kids at least, yet to come.

The ideas submitted so far are interesting in that you'll notice the quiz/knowledge element in almost every one.

Seven year olds are sometimes crazy about collecting information, sorting it, and showing what they know in a thousand different imaginative ways.

Your suggestions - games for 7 year olds

Imagine... I Spy!
This car / travel game is like I spy in my imagination. We began playing this game when she was 3 and continue to play. You must describe an object which you picture in your imagination. Start with color, shape, where you would typically see or use the item, etc. Just do not give away the object. One would be amazed with the items your child will picture and describe.
Tracey, United States

Time for a rhyme!
Ryhming word game - dog, bog ,log, fog etc. gets us through many a car journey and grown up passengers love to join in.
Susie, Ireland

Card match
Concentration, good for any subject. Make 10 sets of cards using 2 pictures the same, put face down, turn over a card and try to find its match.
Karen, Canada

Charades
Play Charades. Pick a category, Movies, Professions, Television, Books, etc. and take turns acting out the title or activity without speaking.
Donni, Spain

Alphabet word game
Everyone says a word that starts with a letter of the alphabet - keep going till done.
Priten, United States

Music trivia
A trivia game based on music videos and their artists. Have a dvd that has short clips of modern r&b and hip hop songs and ask questions based on the clips.
Camille, United States

School game
School: If you live in a house with stairs this can be a fun educational game.

In advance make up about 25 questions or more depending on the number of children playing. Make these appropriate for the ages of the children involved.

Ask each child a question in turn i.e. Who is the President of the United States. If the answer is correct the child advances to the next grade or up 1 stair.

Who ever makes it to the top stair and answers the question correctly is the winner.

Variations could be to ask the next child the same question if it was answered incorrectly. The child reaching the top stair in the winner, if he or she can answer 2 of 3 questions correctly.

Make up a graduation certificate for the winner.
Bill Helms, Atwater, California, USA

Travel alphabet
One of my favorite games as a child on long road trips (of which there were plenty!)...

Starting with the letter A, find a word that contains the letter in printed matter - license plate, road sign, store sign, etc. Call off "A - license plate", "B - Billiard Hall," etc.

For older kids - they have to find each letter of the alphabet at the BEGINNING of a word/sign, etc.
Erika, Austin, TX

Chocolate race
Get the children to sit in a circle. In the middle, place a plate with a slab of chocolate, a knife and fork (butter knife obviously!)

Also place some items of clothing...can be socks, hat, scarf, gloves etc - I tend to stick to 3 items.

The children pass a dice around, each child getting to roll it once before passing it on.

When a 6 is rolled the child who rolled the 6 must put on the socks, hat and scarf then start to eat the chocolate using the knife and fork!

Ohe child stays there until the next six is thrown. Then they must remove the items and join the circle while the next child has a go.

This is great fun :) And you'll be amazed how often a 6 is thrown!
Lauren, Cape Town

Theme song guess
It is a lot of fun and a brain gym for kids.

We take turn to sing or hum a theme song from a movie. Others try to guess the title of the movie.

Try with some popular phrase like 'to infinity and beyond...'...they can guess that one easily :-)...
Felly, Indonesia

Thanks to all who contributed their games for 7 year olds :)